I feel like it exploded after the cheap integrated sensors came on market that were easy to DIY with. It's nerd catnip, it makes you feel like you're discovering some hidden truth and makes it very tempting to blame the readings for all sorts of things. I don't even know how to trust the calibration on these things.

It kind of reminds me of the old joke where a drunk is looking for his keys under a street lamp even though he dropped them in a dark corner of the parking lot.